Senate Joint Resolution No. 193 proposes an amendment to the state constitution to establish environmental rights. This amendment would grant each person the right to clean and healthy air, water, soil, ecosystems, and a safe and stable climate, which are deemed essential for public health, safety, and general welfare. The state would be prohibited from infringing upon these rights and would be required to protect them equitably for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, gender, socioeconomic status, or geography. Additionally, the amendment mandates that the state conserve, protect, and maintain its natural resources, including water, air, flora, fauna, soils, and climate, for the benefit of current and future residents. It also ensures that funds allocated for the protection of the state's natural resources cannot be diverted elsewhere.

The resolution specifies that these environmental rights are inalienable and can be directly invoked and enforced by state residents. The proposed amendment will be presented to voters with the following ballot designation: "Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to (1) provide each citizen an enforceable individual right to clean and healthy air, water, soil, ecosystems and environment, and a safe and stable climate for the benefit of public health, safety and the general welfare, that is equivalent to all other inalienable rights; (2) require the state to conserve, protect and maintain the state's natural resources; and (3) prohibit the diversion of funds supporting protection of such resources?" The resolution will be continued to the next session of the General Assembly elected in November 2024, and if approved, it will be placed on the 2024 general election ballot. The fiscal impact of this resolution is a one-time cost of $10,000 in FY 25, primarily due to increased printing costs for the ballot.